Even recent history, such as recordings from 9/11 or the 2008 election is at risk because digital sound files can be corrupted and widely used CD-R discs last only last three to five years before files start to fade, said study co-author Sam Brylawski.

'I think we're assuming that if it's on the Web it's going to be there forever,' he said. 'That's one of the biggest challenges.'

The first comprehensive study of the preservation of sound recordings in the U.S. being released by the Library of Congress also found many historical recordings already have been lost or can't be accessed by the public. That includes most of radio's first decade from 1925 to 1935."

2 comments:

I remember reading years ago that a lot of the audio documentation stored in the archives of the U.S. government and the Library of Congress can no longer be heard because it was recorded on technology that is now obsolete.